Megan Wilson

Tauranga orthopaedic surgeon Dr Ailsa Wilson first thought she was going to be a concert pianist before turning to medicine.

Wilson told the Bay of Plenty Times she was doing a conjoint degree in music and sport science at the University of Auckland while living in a hall of residence with Māori and Pacific medical students.

Wilson became friends with some of the medical students and was inspired by their studies.

“I loved the piano and I thought I was going to be a concert pianist, but I didn’t know if that was going to be me for the rest of my life.

“Looking at what they did ... I thought that maybe that would be a better career for me because I love working with people, and I love making a difference.

“The fact that they were Māori and Pacific, and me too being the same, I thought I could potentially do that as well.”

At the end of her conjoint degree, Wilson decided to study medicine.

After more than a decade of training, Wilson has become the first Pacific female orthopaedic surgeon in New Zealand, working at Tauranga and Whakatāne Hospitals.

While she felt shy to boast about the achievement, she was proud to share the achievement with “Pacific people to come”.

“Since I’ve got into the training programme, there’s been eight other Pacific females that have followed ... which is amazing.

“I feel like that in itself is just what I feel more proud of.”

Wilson was born and bred in okoroa. She loved sport and studied sport science as a “backup” if her concert pianist ambitions did not pan out.

After pivoting to medicine and graduating in 2013, Wilson worked at Middlemore Hospital for two years as a house surgeon/general doctor.

In her second year, “I realised orthopaedics might be a possibility for me”.

A consultant suggested she do orthopaedics. She was also inspired by two Pacific and Māori junior registrars who got on to the orthopaedic training programme.

She did two years as a junior orthopaedic registrar then got onto the five-year training programme from Tauranga Hospital in 2021.

Her training took place across several hospitals – Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, North Shore, Middlemore, and Tauranga.

Wilson said she received the Pasifika Medical Association’s Dr Joe Williams scholarship in 2022.

Last year, during her final exams, Wilson found out she was pregnant with her first child.

She took six months of maternity leave to have her daughter, Te Rina, who is now 7 months old.

Wilson recently returned to work fulltime – a transition she initially found difficult.

“Coming home late at night sometimes and only seeing my baby for two hours was quite hard.

“But as soon as I get home now, I spend as much time I can get with her, and then do the night-time duties and then go back to work again.

“I’m very lucky I have a very supportive partner, and I have a very supportive family as well.”

Wilson said her job was very fulfilling. She cited an example of someone with hip arthritis, who was “pretty much bedridden” and in severe pain.

“We give them an operation and then the next day, they’ve had the best sleep for decades ... That kind of instant fulfilment of being able to give people independence and a better-quality life.”

Her message to others was that dreams were achievable with good encouragement, support, and “lots of hard work”.

“It doesn’t matter what background you’ve come from.”

She said her family and mentors had been hugely supportive. “It hasn’t been easy. This hasn’t been handed to me – I think I’ve had a determination to get there, and it’s just been committed to everything I’ve had to get there.”

Tauranga Hospital orthopaedic surgeon and New Zealand Orthopaedics Association (NZOA) second president-elect, Dr Dawson Muir, confirmed Wilson was the first Pacific wahine to progress through the NZOA five-year training programme.

He said there were “at least” two Māori wahine orthopaedic surgeons who recently preceded her.

Muir said it was exciting that the diversity of surgeons was “steadily increasing”.

He said Wilson’s achievement represented “a signal that you can do it”.

“We’re delighted for Ailsa and I think it’s a great achievement and it’s something to celebrate.”

Pasifika Medical Association president Dr Kiki Maoate said the association was “incredibly proud” of Wilson for her “milestone achievement”.

As a Dr Joe Williams Scholarship recipient, “she continues his legacy of service, care and excellence, and no doubt she will continue to inspire the next generations of Pacific health specialists to come”. – NZME